The Key Differences Between Voice Searches and Text Searches

As more and more people use a mobile device to conduct text searches, the number of people using their voices to search also increases. Instead of having to open a keyboard and type in a query, people can now open that same device and use voice searches to find information without the worry of mistyping due to a misplaced finger. This changes how websites respond, plus it allows for deeper levels of explanation within the content of those websites as well. It also changes how those websites need to be setup if they want to reach the widest audience.

Local Audiences Are Now the Focus

For many years, the audience of most websites was vast. It would include anyone who liked a topic, or who lived in the same region which the website catered. Now, however, thanks to voice searches, this is changing. It used to be that someone would use text searches for a broad topic, then narrow down their own results as they went. Now, people start off with a narrow search and widen it if that becomes necessary. They will look at their own neighborhood and city prior to going to a county, state, or regional level. That affects which websites show up in their queries, giving the most weight to the local businesses.

The Length of Each Query is Extremely Different

In order to reach the greatest audience, websites need to include the most common queries people search by. For example, if a person is searching for a hair salon in their city, they may type out a search for “salons Chicago”. With voice searches, the query can be much more detailed, making it a lot longer. Now, that same person can search for a query like “hair salons in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.” Instead of websites only needing to include one or two keywords with slight variation, that number is going to continue to grow.

Voice Searches Use Natural Language

Another difference between text searches and voice searches is the language most commonly used. For example, if someone is searching for guitars in their area, they would perform a search such as “Sacramento guitars” and look for what they wanted. However, this was never a natural way of speaking and felt awkward to most people. With the advent of voice search, the language of searches has improved greatly. Today, people can search for specific answers. They can ask where a business is, when it opens, who owns the business, what types of items the store sells, and even how long the business has been around. These searches allow for a greater range when setting up the content for each website.

Changing up a website to make sure it includes as many voice search queries as possible is no easy feat. It takes time, a deep understanding of the most commonly used queries, and a full understanding of current SEO and content practices.